"That rather takes the cream off, doesn"t it?"
"Don"t fish. I might say something to make you blush. I"m quite capable of it and not a bit responsible for what I say. I want to revel in the thought of it all."
"State business, is it? What do I care about State business? I want a seat and I"m going to have one," broke in a harsh ill-tempered voice from the corridor.
"Going to have travelling companions to Osnabruck," I said. "Some of those officers who got in at Hanover. Better let them come in."
There was no question of letting them. The man whose voice we had heard came in. "We"ve got to sit here; there"s not another seat in the train," he said bluntly.
"By all means," I agreed. There was nothing else to do.
"Come on, you fellows," he called, looking out into the corridor.
"Plenty of room here."
I stiffened as I caught a glimpse of one of his companions. He was a man named Freibach who had been at Gottingen with me, and both Nessa and I had known him in London before the war. I tried to warn Nessa, but it was useless; and her start as she saw him was enough to give everything away.
Would he recognize us? If he did--what?
A minute settled it and judgment went dead against us. He knew us both.
"Hullo! This is a surprise if you like. How do you do, Miss Caldicott, and you too, Lancaster?" he exclaimed in English, and after shaking hands with Nessa held out his hand to me.
CHAPTER XXII
CHECKMATE
I"m not a particularly blood-thirsty person, but considering the hosts of Freibach"s countrymen who had fallen in the war, I certainly did bitterly regret that he had been spared.
Poor Nessa! Just when she had been at the height of ecstatic delight at the near prospect of escape, this infernal thing had come to plunge her back into the abyss. It seemed to break her up.
And well it might! If it had been almost any other man than Freibach it might have been possible to face it out. Indeed, if he had been alone, or had even thought what he was doing, I believe he would have been decent enough to hold his tongue. But his surprise had betrayed us.
And that we were betrayed his companions" looks proved plainly. The man who had come in first looked up with a scowl as I shook Freibach"s hand.
"What"s that, lieutenant? Do you mean to say these people are English and dare to try and keep us out of here with a pretence of State business? What"s the meaning of it, and what the devil are you doing here?"
My friend realized then the bad turn he had done us and looked the regret he dared not express.
I put the best face on it I could. "There is no need to adopt that tone with me, sir----"
"Isn"t there? Oh! I"m accustomed to use what tone I please with you English. I"m Major Borsch of the 23rd Potsdam regiment; and it"s my business to know all about you both." That he was a bully of the best Prussian type was evident. "What was that humbug about State business?"
How I regretted that burnt authority at that moment! "This lady, Miss Caldicott, is on her way to England. She has been in Berlin since before the outbreak of the war and is returning by the order of Baron von Gratzen; and acting under his instructions I am escorting her to the frontier."
He burst into loud coa.r.s.e laughter which made Freibach wince. "A pretty tale, but not good enough for me. And who are you, pray, that you are detailed off as escort?" The sneer on the last word was worthy of even von Erstein.
"I am travelling as Johann La.s.sen. I have all my papers here. I am on a special mission for Baron von Gratzen, who gave me a written authority for that purpose."
"Did he indeed? Very nice of him. I should like to see that special authority. A swine of an Englishman on a special State business! What next, I"d like to know."
It wasn"t easy to keep one"s temper with this sort of brute; but there was Nessa to be thought of. "Unfortunately I have partially burnt it."
"Dear me! What a misfortune, eh?" he sneered. "Let me look at the precious fragments and your other papers."
I handed over the burnt paper. "I have already reported the accident to Baron von Gratzen by telegraph." I dragged in the Baron"s name as much as possible, for I had noticed that the mention of it had had some impression even on him.
He scrutinized the authority and shook his head over it. "A forgery, of course;" and he was going to tear it up when I interposed.
"I shall have to report the destruction of it to the Baron, of course,"
I said quietly.
The officer who sat next him whispered something and the paper was not destroyed. "And your other papers? I must see them."
I did not reply, and he repeated his demand angrily. But I had taken his measure by this time. He had not ventured to destroy the remnant of the authority; and although its destruction didn"t matter two straws either way, it mattered very much to see that he was sufficiently in awe of von Gratzen to abstain.
"Do you want me to take them from you?" he thundered.
"Do so, if you think it safe," I said in a very different tone.
"Don"t you dare to threaten me, you swinehound," he roared.
"Go to blazes!" I answered in much the same tone. "Who the devil are you to come bl.u.s.tering in here in this way? I"m on Baron von Gratzen"s business, not yours; I"ve no instructions to show his papers to any and every boorish clown who dares to ask for them. If you want to see them, telegraph to him, and when he instructs me to tell you his business I"ll do it, and not before."
I fired this at him with all my lung power and tried to look even more angry than I felt, and shouted him down when he tried to interrupt me once or twice.
He cursed volubly.
"If you don"t behave yourself I"ll have you put out of the carriage," I cried. "Do you imagine that Baron von Gratzen sent his confidential secretary to secure this compartment for me and this lady that we might be insulted by such a foul-mouthed brute as you? Ask your questions civilly, and I"ll answer them; but don"t imagine you can bully me."
That his three companions relished all this was apparent in their looks; but the effect on the bully himself was a sheer delight to witness. He tried to bl.u.s.ter, but he was frightened. The sting of my attack was the reference to von Welten"s reservation of the compartment, and I promptly drove it home by asking Freibach to have the guard called.
He hesitated; the other man was his superior officer, of course, and looked to him. "He"ll be able to confirm what I say," I added.
The major nodded and nothing more pa.s.sed until the guard arrived.
"Who saw these people off at Berlin?"
"Herr von Welten, sir, and he told me that the compartment was to be strictly reserved for them by Baron von Gratzen"s orders. I explained that the train was sure to be full; but he said that under no conditions was I to allow any one to enter it."
The major"s face dropped at this. "You can go," he ordered.
"Wait a minute, guard. Tell Major Borsch about the telegram."
The man told his story succinctly; and it had an excellent effect upon the bully, and a whispered conversation followed between him and the man next him. I began to hope. The worst was over for the moment, apparently; and the next scene was likely to take place when we reached Osnabruck. What would happen there was on the lap of the G.o.ds.